International Programs
How To Apply For A Social Security Card
1. Your potential employer must provide you with an employment letter on
department or company letterhead (see attached example for letter format).
2. Request a letter from the Office of International Programs to take to the
Social Security Administration. To obtain this letter please fill in a Social
Security Letter Request Form and present it along with your letter of
employment to the International Student Coordinator.
Allow 24 hours for processing.
3. Apply for the Social Security Card in person at the Social Security
Administration Office that is located at 101 1st Street SW, Minot, ND 58701.
4. Complete the Social Security Administration application (SS-5) for a Social
Security Card.
Answer numbers 1-16 of the Social Security Administration Application
• Question 2: Mailing Address: use your Minot mailing address.
• Question 3: choose “Legal Alien Allowed to Work”.
• Question 8b/9b: leave blank if not applicable.
5. Submit with your application (SS-5), the letters from your employer and
the Office of International Programs, your passport, I-94 Card and I-20.
Required documents are further described in the attached social security
administration information sheet.
Ask for a receipt or a letter of verification from the Social Security
Administration office indicating you have applied for
the Social Security Number.
6. Take the receipt or the letter to the MSU Human Resources Office.
7. Your Social Security Card will be mailed to the address indicated on your
application. Immediately upon receipt, take the card to the MSU Human
Resources Office so that your social security number can be recorded.
International Programs
F-1 Student Social Security Number Request Form
International students who have been offered employment in the United States
must apply for a Social Security Number and provide their employer with that
number. All employment must be consistent with federal regulations that govern
visa status and benefits.
Eligibility to Work in the U.S.
On Campus:
F-1 students may work on-campus up to 20 total hours each week (this is
not an average!) during the academic year and up to 40 of total hours a
week during the days when classes are not in session over breaks (winter,
spring break, and summer).
Off Campus:
F-1 students may work off-campus only after receiving special
authorization from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
See an advisor in the Office of International Programs for more
information on the limitations of off-campus work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Security Request Form:
Submit this form to Office of International Programs along with your offer letter of
employment. You may only apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) if you have
been offered employment. Allow at least 24 hours for processing.
Last Name: _________________________First Name: ____________________
Student ID#: _____________________
Telephone Number ___________________________
Current E-mail ______________________________
Are you currently a full-time student? ______Yes _____No
When do you intend to work? ______________________________
How many hours per week? _______________________________
Sample Offer Letter for Obtaining a Social Security Card
NOTE TO EMPLOYERS: THIS LETTER MUST BE PRINTED ON LETTERHEAD
STATIONARY TO COMPLY WITH SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS.
Date:
To Whom It May Concern:
This is an offer of on-campus employment for ___________________________
Name of Student
for the position of ____________________________________________________
Nature of job (e.g. wait staff, library aide, research assistant etc.)
Start Date: ___________________________
Number of Hours/week:__________________
Employer Contact Information:
Minot State University Department /Employer: _____________________________
Telephone:_________________
Student’s Immediate Supervisor:________________________________________
____________________________________________
Employer’s Signature
____________________________________________
Title
International Students And Social Security Numbers
A re you temporarily in the United States
to attend a college, language, vocation-
al or nonacademic school with a nonimmi-
• Show us original documents proving
your:
—Immigration status;
grant F-1, M-1 or J-1 student classification? —Work eligibility;
Your school may ask you for your Social
Security number. Some colleges and —Age; and
schools use Social Security numbers as stu- —Identity.
dent identification numbers. If you do not • Take your completed application and
have a Social Security number, the college original documents to your local Social
or school should be able to give you anoth- Security office.
er identification number.
Social Security numbers are generally Immigration status
assigned to people who are authorized to To prove your immigration status, you
work in the United States. Social Security must show us the current U.S. immigration
numbers are used to report your wages to document, I-94, Arrival/Departure Record,
the government and to determine eligibili- issued to you when you arrived in the
ty for Social Security benefits. Social United States. If you are an F-1 or M-1 stu-
Security will not assign you a number just dent, you also must show us your I-20,
to enroll in a college or school. Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant
Student Status. If you are a J-1 or J-2
What do I have to do to work exchange visitor, you must show us your
in the United States? DS-2019, Certificate of Eligibility for
Exchange Visitor Status.
If you want to get a job on campus, you
should contact your designated school offi- Work eligibility
cial for international students. This official If you are an F-1 student and eligible to
can tell you if you are eligible to work on work on campus, you must provide a letter
campus and give you information about from your designated school official that
available jobs. Also, your school may identifies your employer and the type of
approve certain limited off-campus employ- work you are, or will be, doing. We also
ment, as permitted under Department of need to see evidence of that employment,
Homeland Security (DHS) regulations. If such as a recent pay slip or a letter from
your school has authorized you to work your employer. Your supervisor must sign
either on or off campus, and you meet and date the letter. The letter must
Social Security’s eligibility requirements describe:
described in the next section, you can get a
Social Security number. • Your job;
• Your employment start date:
How do I apply for a • The number of hours you are, or will be,
Social Security number? working; and
• Your supervisor’s name and telephone
In general, only noncitizens who have number.
permission to work from DHS can apply for If you are an F-1 student authorized to
a Social Security number. To apply for a work in curricular practical training, you
Social Security number: must provide us your Form I-20 with the
• Complete an Application For A Social employment page (page 3) completed and
Security Card (Form SS-5); and
(over)
w w w. s o c i a l s e c u r i t y. g o v International Students And Social Security Numbers
signed by your school’s designated school Do I need a Social Security number
official.
before I start working?
If you are an F-1 or M-1 student and are
authorized to work off campus, you must We do not require you to have a Social
provide us with the Employment Security number before you start work.
Authorization Document (I-766 or I-688B) However, the Internal Revenue Service
you received from DHS. requires employers to report wages using a
If you are a J-1 student, you must provide Social Security number. While you wait for
a letter from your sponsor. The letter your Social Security number, your employ-
should be on sponsor letterhead with an er can use a letter from us stating that you
original signature that authorizes your applied for a number. Your employer may
employment. use your immigration documents as proof
of your authorization to work in the United
States. Employers can find more informa-
Age tion on the Internet at
You must present your birth certificate if www.socialsecurity.gov/employer/hiring.htm.
you have it or can easily obtain it. If not,
we can consider other documents, such as
your passport or a document issued by Contacting Social Security
DHS, to prove your age. For more information and to find copies
of our publications, visit our website at
Identity www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free,
We can accept only certain documents as 1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hear-
proof of identity. An acceptable document ing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778).
must be current (not expired) and show We can answer specific questions from
your name, identifying information and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
preferably a recent photograph. Social We provide information by automated
Security will ask to see your current U.S. phone service 24 hours a day.
immigration documents. Acceptable immi- We treat all calls confidentially. We also
gration documents include your: want to make sure you receive accurate
• Form I-551 (includes machine-readable and courteous service. That is why we have
immigrant visa with your unexpired a second Social Security representative
foreign passport); monitor some telephone calls.
• I-94 with your unexpired foreign pass-
port; or
• Work permit card from DHS (I-766
or I-688B).
All documents must be either originals
or copies certified by the issuing agency.
We cannot accept photocopies or notarized
copies of documents. We also cannot
accept a receipt showing you applied for
the document. We may use one document
for two purposes. For example, we may use
your DHS work permit as proof of both
work eligibility and identity. However, you
must provide at least two separate docu-
ments.
Social Security Administration
SSA Publication No. 05-10181
w w w. s o c i a l s e c u r i t y. g o v December 2005 (Recycle prior editions)